In Vitro Hemocompatibility and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Halloysite Nanotubes for Biomedical Application.

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), due to their unique structures and properties, may play an important role in biomedical applications. In vitro test is usually conducted as a preliminary screening evaluation of the hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity of HNTs for its short term consuming, convenience, and less expense. In this work, HNTs were processed with anticoagulated rabbit blood to detect its blood compatibility. The result of hemolysis test shows that the hemolysis ratios are below 0.5%, indicating nonhemolysis of HNTs. Plasma recalcification time suggests that HNTs are dose-dependently contributing to blood coagulation in platelet poor plasma (PPP). The effect of platelet activation caused by HNTs was also examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Meanwhile, HNTs were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) to observe its intracellular distribution in A549 cells under confocal microscopy. CCK-8 test and TUNEL test of HNTs at different concentration levels were performed in vitro, respectively. Therefore, the potential usage of HNTs in medicine may be very meaningful in oral dosing, dermal application, dental uses, or medical implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]